The following article has been adapted from the upcoming book titled War of the Worldviews.
The Shifting Landscape: A New Era of Challenges
Throughout history, the world has experienced significant transformations, such as the cultural and scientific awakening of the Renaissance and the technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution. The early 21st century is no different and is marked by a particularly accelerated pace of transformation, characterized by rapid technological advancements, the pervasive adoption of postmodernist thinking, and escalating tensions between Eastern and Western powers. Together, these factors have propelled the world into a new era. At the time of this writing, the world seems to be quickly sliding down the slopes of anarchy.
Amidst these modern developments, Christian parents are entrusted with the responsibility of educating their children about God and the world. Their goal is to nurture their children to embrace the Christian worldview, inspire them to carry their cross with resilience, and instill in them a steadfast trust and genuine faith in God, so that one day they may stand before God's judgment throne with confidence and without fear. This responsibility of guiding children—particularly in a post-Christian world—is a daunting task. These modern challenges have been a significant inspiration for writing this book given that my wife and I have recently been entrusted with a daughter.
Fathers (though mothers may sometimes fulfill this role in exceptional circumstances) have the responsibility of ensuring the security and well-being of their family. It is a father’s duty to confront and eliminate any threat to their family’s safety. For example, if glass shatters in the living room in the middle of the night, they do not send their wife or children to investigate. Instead, as men, they are called to stand selflessly and sacrificially between their family and any external danger. In the same way that a father is charged with ensuring his family’s physical safety, he must also ensure his family’s spiritual safety and maturity. He must act as the guardian of their minds and hearts, protecting them from harmful ideologies and philosophies. This is particularly important for his children who are still developing their worldview.
Understanding the Battle Lines: The Spiritual Conflict
To effectively navigate this landscape, several key understandings are crucial:
We are in a spiritual war: Firstly, we must understand that we are engaged in a spiritual war for minds and hearts where our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil. This battle requires divine weapons which have the power to demolish strongholds and arguments against the knowledge of God. We are called to "fight the good fight of the faith" and seize the eternal life promised to us. Despite the formidable nature of these spiritual threats, we can have total confidence in our victory. Christ has already triumphed over these forces, making us "more than conquerors". Just as David defeated Goliath and all of Israel partook in pursuing the Philistines after Goliath fell, so we partake in Christ's victory over sin and the forces of evil.
Complacency is dangerous: Secondly, the more we understand not only that the Bible describes our current situation as an ongoing war, but also why it describes it this way, the more we ought to be encouraged not to become complacent with the spiritual lives of our families and children. Just as complacency regarding physical security can lead to tragic loss, so too can complacency in our spiritual lives. Neglecting time spent reading Scripture, praying, attending church services, and maintaining a personal relationship with God can lead to the ultimate tragic loss: eternal death. This is not to say that these things are what secures salvation, but they are the fruits of salvation, and a lack of fruits are cause for concern.
The conflict is all-encompassing: Third, we must understand the extent of this conflict. It is all-encompassing, a struggle for the very hearts of men. Van Til writes that this war is waged through the preaching and teaching of the church and the home, and through the witness of individual believers everywhere. But the battle lines extend far beyond these obvious fronts. This conflict rages even in seemingly mundane areas like the study of nature, mathematics, reading and writing. Exactly how this is the case will be outlined later in this book, but for now it’s sufficient to understand that Satan seeks to deceive everyone, young and old, tempting them to adopt the same rebellious attitude that he instilled in Adam and Eve. His deceptive strategy remains the same and seems innocent at face-value: A call for "open-mindedness" that subtly undermines the authority of God's Word and places human reason on equal footing with if not superior to divine revelation.
Personal readiness is essential: Lastly, it is essential to realize that we cannot effectively lead our children to embrace and mature within the Christian worldview unless we ourselves possess a deep and systematic understanding of Christian truths and live these truths out in practice. Facing the world's philosophical challenges is inevitable. We may not face them directly, but we will certainly face them through the experiences of our children and grandchildren. Now, more than ever, we must be well-prepared to articulate and defend the hope that resides within us.
"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm"
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."
The Battleground of Beliefs: Guarding Our Minds
The mind is a metaphor for our beliefs and how we process information. What do we believe about ourselves, the world, and God? The instantaneous sharing of information and ideas via social media is a hallmark of modern society, and represents a paradigm shift in the way we communicate. For instance, X, a popular social media site, processes approximately 500 million posts per day. The perceived anonymity and safety of posting content from behind a computer screen and keyboard to a faceless audience often emboldens individuals to post things they perhaps would not have said in person. Controversial viewpoints, in particular, tend to generate increased engagement and online visibility, creating a situation where the most provocative content often gains the most traction. As such, misleading or patently false ideas, amplified by their shock value and propensity to trend, exert an undue influence on popular opinion, far exceeding their true merit.
While the instantaneous sharing of information and ideas is inherently valuable, it also comes with its caveats. For example, the sheer volume and speed of the flow of information mean that we are exposed to a barrage of diverse ideas at an unprecedented scale and intensity. In particular, our children are encountering and grappling with challenges to their parental instilled beliefs much earlier and more intensely than previous generations. Parents must be aware of the potential impact of social media on their children's worldview and be equipped to guide them toward a responsible use of these technologies. Just as it is unwise to leave the front door unlocked at night, it is unwise and irresponsible to grant children unrestricted access to social media before they can discern fact from fiction and have been thoroughly grounded in the Christian faith.
Exacerbating the ease with which vast amounts of (mis)information flows is the emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Consider the use of language models in products like ChatGPT, which is engineered to provide quick and convincing answers to almost any question you ask. A critical question emerges: Who governs the outputs of these models? Control over these technologies equips entities with the power to shape public opinion by disseminating misinformation that suits their particular narratives. If outputs generated by AI become a primary source of information in our society, or if children are given unrestricted access to these tools (bearing in mind that children often prefer 'Googling their questions' rather than asking their parents) then who or what is shaping our children's worldviews? Consider posing the question about the number of genders to your preferred language model and then evaluate how its response aligns with what you would explain to your children. Moreover, AI's ability to influence politics and public perception is profound. During conflicts like the Israel-Gaza crisis, images and videos depicting the suffering of children were circulated, yet there were claims that some of these could have been fabricated (AI-generated) as part of a disinformation campaign to influence public opinion. In today's digital landscape, where even visual media can be easily altered or generated through AI, it's essential to approach all information, including images and videos, with discernment, something which children inherently lack.
Information that validates almost any sinful thought or action can easily be found. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul speaks about the godlessness of the “last days”: “...evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” Interestingly, these people aren’t just deceiving others; they are themselves deceived. How can Christians avoid this? Paul writes, “... continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”. Apart from God's Word, we risk being enslaved by worldly perspectives, becoming deceived and ourselves deceivers, particularly towards our children. When helping children understand themselves and the world, the Word of God must be our ultimate guide. Paul implicitly assumes this when he writes that we’ve been acquainted with the sacred writings from childhood. We are to "take every thought captive to obey Christ" and we are to teach our children to do this as well. As our ultimate authority, the Word of God equips us to discern truth from falsehood in this modern world saturated with deceptive narratives and opinions. By grounding ourselves in the unchanging truth of Scripture, we can cultivate the discernment necessary to navigate the complexities of our time and remain steadfast in our faith.
Some might feel a desire to withdraw from the world given the recent technological advancements and the complexities they bring. This is understandable, but such a retreat would be tantamount to surrendering the culture war. Technological advancements, when rightly understood, glorify God and testify to His wisdom in creating an ordered universe. We are called to engage with these advancements, not shun them, but to do so with discernment rooted in the unchanging truth of Scripture. The Word of God, as it has been for Christians for millennia, remains our unchanging and ever-relevant indispensable guide. Indeed, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work". Furthermore, instead of viewing these technological advancements solely as threats, Christians should adopt a conqueror mindset and consider how these powerful technologies can be used to advance the Kingdom of God. These advancements are akin to the development of the gun. Guns can kill people. If, realizing this, you discard all your guns, it simply means the enemy has all the firepower. Similarly, developments like social media and generative AI pose certain risks, particularly to our children. It would be unwise to give children unrestricted access, just as it would be unwise to leave a child alone with a gun. However, we must properly train them to understand these technologies, to use them responsibly, and to critically evaluate the information they encounter, empowering them to become effective users of these technologies to one day join us on the front lines of the worldview war.
The preceding discussion boils down to this: What occupies our minds and shapes our understanding and judgment of the world? We face a critical choice: either cling to the Word of God as our sole infallible rule of faith and diligently impart its wisdom to our children, even as the culture drifts from Christianity, or passively succumb to worldly influences and powers, risking destruction alongside all that opposes the knowledge of God. If we neglect to instruct our children in the ways of the Lord, the world will readily indoctrinate them with its own values and ideologies.
The Struggle for Our Desires: Protecting Our Hearts
While the mind represents our beliefs and how we process information, the heart metaphorically represents our desires, what we love, what motivates us, and for whom or what we live. Although intimately linked to the mind, the heart can drive us to act irrationally, rebelling against known truths, fueled by selfish desires or sin. The battle for our hearts is particularly prevalent in the widespread adoption of postmodern philosophy in the early 21st century.
Postmodern philosophy, with its emphasis on subjective truth, represents a significant shift away from the way people were thinking in prior millennia. It moves away from seeking to understand the world as God created it (or as it is) and instead emphasizes our subjective "feelings" and "experiences" (or how we experience it to be). It is arguably the pinnacle of non-Christian thinking, the very definition of rejecting God’s truth and creating your own. The Scriptures warn us that "... the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick…" And that "... from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person". Despite these warnings, the prevailing modern culture chooses to embrace the inclinations of their sinful hearts, treating them as trustworthy guides for life.
Jean-François Lyotard, in defining postmodernism in The Postmodern Condition, describes it as an incredulity towards "meta-narratives", with a meta-narrative being a unified, complete, universal, and certain story about everything that exists (we can stop to note the irony that an incredulity towards meta-narratives is a meta-narrative in and of itself, just a rather short one). If there is no "complete and certain story" (i.e., no Creator) it implies that everything is the result of chance. In such a view, no facts are intended or created: all are brute facts. For example: In postmodern philosophy there is no created intention or meaning behind the concept and role of a "woman" that transcends the experiences of individuals. A "woman" is whatever anyone experiences it to be. Do you feel like a woman (whatever you subjectively think a woman is)? Then you are one. The logical consequence of this is a situation where "... everyone [does] what [is] right in his own eyes". Without a Creator behind nature we cannot be considered "creatures" in the sense that we were created with a divine purpose in mind, and if we aren't created, we have no moral obligation to live for anything or anyone but ourselves.
The shift towards postmodernism essentially began with Immanuel Kant's "Copernican revolution": Kant posited that we cannot know things in themselves (e.g., we cannot know an "apple" as it is in itself) and that the objects we experience must conform to our mental categories (we can only know an "apple" as we perceive it to be). This suggests that truth is subjective rather than objective. As such, people turned "inward", looking for meaning and truth in themselves rather than outside of themselves (creation, revelation etc.). An "inward" or subjective theory of truth will deeply resonate with a heart that is already inclined towards selfish desires.
The "culture of death", which is a consequence of the unchecked pursuit of sinful desires and postmodern philosophy, signifies a significant shift in the cultural values of Western—historically Christian—societies. These societies have transitioned from being family and church-oriented (which are God-given institutions to govern society), aimed at living for and serving others, to an extreme form of individualism and self-centeredness. This shift is evident when viewing key statistics about our modern Western society:
Marriage in Decline: Firstly, more than half of first marriages end in divorce (that is of those who still choose to get married in the first place). Marriage, as a Christian institution designed to reflect the relationship of Christ and his church, requires continual self-sacrifice and work, something which our self-indulgent societies are unwilling to do. Thus, failed marriages are more common than successful ones and younger generations are now questioning the "relevance of marriage", viewing it as an outdated tradition that unnecessarily imposes on their self-comfort and personal freedoms.
Falling Birth Rates: Secondly, declining birth rates are also a concern. Even secular experts warn of incoming "population collapse". Throughout history, the human population has always been on a steady (and in the last century, exponential) increase. Our global economy and models all function on the underlying assumption of population growth. The world is experiencing a demographic shift where the "boomer" generation is larger than the generations that followed. As "boomers" reach retirement age, they leave a significant gap in the labor force, straining economies and the demand for goods. As the world grapples with this demographic challenge, many young couples are adopting a "DINK" (dual income, no kids) lifestyle. They prioritize material luxuries like cars, expensive homes, and vacations over raising a family. Ironically, this individualistic mindset may contribute to the very economic decline that could threaten the availability of those material luxuries. Children are no longer perceived as a blessing and joy, but as a liability. As with failed marriages, the self-sacrificial love that a parent requires to raise a child is simply absent from the modern mindset and sometimes even publicly despised. It's worthwhile to note that as historical Christian regions are increasingly moving away from rearing children in the fear of the Lord and veering towards secularism and self-centeredness, the Islamic world is witnessing a significant population increase.
Sex and Abortion: Thirdly, sex, historically regarded as sacred within the bounds of marriage, is increasingly perceived as a tool for personal gratification, with little consideration for its deeper relational or moral implications. A glaring illustration of this cultural transformation is the prevalence of abortion. The World Health Organization reports that approximately 73 million abortions are performed annually—a figure exceeding the entire population of most countries. Disturbingly, not only has the termination of pregnancies become normalized, but in certain circles, it is even celebrated as a positive right. In 2019, One World Trade Center was lit pink in celebration of a New York abortion law that allowed abortions to be performed through the third trimester of a pregnancy. This celebration of abortion is closely linked to the "free sex" movement. If sex is treated primarily as a means for personal enjoyment outside the sanctity of marriage, then abortion becomes a necessary tool to eliminate any unwanted outcomes. To rationalize abortion, the unborn are often dehumanized, labeled as mere "parasites" or "clumps of cells" rather than acknowledged as babies. This dehumanization serves to ease the conscience of those who commit the heinous act of abortion.
The LGBTQ Movement: Lastly, the LGBTQ movement is another outflow of the postmodernist influence on our society. LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (or sometimes questioning). Sometimes a "plus" is added to represent other sexual identities. The postmodernist commitment to subjectivism and personal experience and rejection of objective truth is what ultimately gave rise to the transgender revolution. If you believe yourself to be a woman, that makes you a woman. If you are attracted to the same sex, then power to you. When you combine this with modern medical science, you encounter doctors who provide transition services and hormone therapy, assisting these individuals in transforming their bodies to align with their perceptions. Similarly, the controversy surrounding pronouns can also be analyzed along postmodernist lines. If ultimately the individual's subjective experience makes them who and what they are, it makes sense that we ought to be able to choose how we'd like others to refer to us (either he/him, she/her, they/their, or any combination of pronouns you like).
We and our children live in a world saturated with the message that "it's all about you". Postmodernism is a philosophical system that rejects objective truth, which gives the heart free reign to be and act how it pleases. We must protect our hearts from the insidious pit of selfishness. Our children, in particular, born with sinful natures, must be taught not to be selfish and not to follow all their heart's desires. Selfishness comes naturally. We must diligently pray that God will renew our hearts and the hearts of our children through the work of the Holy Spirit. A heart renewed by the Holy Spirit will live for the glory of God, loving its neighbor as itself and loving God above all else.
Securing Tomorrow: The Fight for Our Future
Paradoxically, one of the few constant elements of our world is that it’s always changing. What may appear permanent and unchanging today could become fragile and unstable tomorrow. In particular, the era of unprecedented stability and peace that the world has experienced since the conclusion of the Second World War may be nearing its end. History shows that when societies turn their backs on God, the inevitable result is often moral decay and ultimately, anarchy. In Proverbs 14:34 Solomon writes that "... righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." "Righteousness" refers not merely to outward ethical behavior but to a God-centered way of living that flows from a heart transformed by the Holy Spirit. True righteousness is bestowed by God and is evidenced in a person via their subsequent faith in Jesus Christ. In rejecting the righteousness offered through Christ, people turn away from God to instead pursue their own sinful desires. As Romans 1:28 warns, "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done." Solomon’s warning that "sin is a reproach to any people" means that sin brings shame, dishonor, and ruin to a community. This principle can be seen throughout Scripture, particularly in blessings and curses found in Deuteronomy, and Proverbs: The prosperity of individuals and nations are inseparably tied to their moral integrity and obedience to God's laws. A society rooted in sin and selfishness (as described previously) will face the destructive consequences of its choices. This destruction can be temporal, as in the literal destruction of a society—perhaps not in the same way Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, but in the very simple way of reaping what they sow—and the destruction can be eternal for those individuals who partook in the rebellion of society and refused to repent of their sins and turn to Christ.
We must appreciate that the battle for our future is not only about our futures as individuals, but about the future of our countries and our people as a whole. This demands an understanding of God's covenantal relationship with humanity. Scripture reveals that God's covenant extends through generations, offering blessings and promises to those who embrace it. Children raised in homes that honor God's covenant are marked by a unique holiness, set apart for His purposes. They are nurtured in the faith, inheriting the blessings and privileges that flow from a life lived under God's grace. Conversely, when a people forsakes God's covenant, they and their children become godless. As such, children have to bear the iniquities of their fathers in the sense that they are being raised in a non-Christian manner. The Bible speaks of God "visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children." This doesn't mean that children inherit the guilt for the sins of their parents—though we all inherit original sin and a sinful nature from Adam and our parents—but rather that their parents' sin has a direct bearing on their formation, burdening them with a non-Christian upbringing, which they will then propagate to their children unless, through God's grace, they come to faith in Christ.
This means that if we admit defeat in the culture war and allow ourselves or our children to be unduly influenced by the world, this capitulation will ultimately culminate in destruction, whether temporal—as history has countless examples of fallen empires and overthrown countries—or eternal, or both. We need to be vigilant about what influences us and our children. The battle lines for our future are drawn in the mundane and everyday choices that seem insignificant: Do we still gather around the dinner table, or has the television started to capture our attention more than the hearts of our families? Do we read God's Word, or has it been collecting dust underneath a glass of water on our nightstands? Do we still attend church, or have we fallen into the habit of rather attending the sport stadiums on Sundays?
A Call to Faithfulness and Hope
The cracks are forming in our societies. Outright rebellion against God is not sustainable. We consistently hear of “wars and rumors of wars”, we see that “lawlessness is increasing”. All of this can induce anxiety and fear about the future. However—and this is the great comfort despite the world's current trajectory—we can be confident that the future is secure in Christ, who has already won the ultimate victory over sin. Even if our immediate world slides down the slopes of anarchy toward destruction and the future seems bleak—and even if it is destroyed as a consequence of rebellion—the church of Christ will prevail. As the slogan on the logo of the Reformed Churches in South Africa says, "Die poorte van die hel sal dit nie oorweldig nie," translated as, "The gates of hell will not prevail over [the Church]."
Our attitude towards the world should be that of Joshua:
"... if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
The church of Christ will ultimately be victorious. Every knee will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. This is the hope for the future that we must possess and instill in our children. Christians should not act as defeatists, but cultivate a conqueror's mindset. We cannot make peace with the world. We are God's hands and feet in this world, tasked with proclaiming the Gospel to the nations and rearing our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. This is how we prevail—through steady, faithful obedience in both the big and small decisions of life.